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Show I S A Vacation Adventure boh . jH r - T was a beautlfui H l8KKSv7l d Miss W BAl nam hiU.ii g by H ! open wMmmi When she lBpzKi finished her sJr ed indolently lo the small window and looked across at the pine woods. (It was one of those country windows, to open which de-mauds de-mauds strength which is as the strength of ten, and which, when opened, refuse to be closed again sae with the archaic force of a battering "Even though I do live In a Harlem flat," pondered Kitty Graham, "I've been accustomed to windows that re-mained re-mained up without any visible means of support. Since I've come to the Hj Berkshires I've learned better. Seems Hjl to me that one volume of Thackeray doesn't keep tho window up high enough." She gazed searchingly Hi about the room. "I reckon one of my high-heeled slippers will about do it," and she inserted that bit of personal property with no mean skill, so that the heel raised the sash two or three H inches higher. HL "That isn't much," she concluded, trifle warm with the exertion, "but it's something. And how delicious that pine fragrance is!" She bent her pretty head so that her little noso drew in long breaths 0f the sweet air; then picking up her letter she went down stairs. "Mrs. Barnes." came Miss Graham's silvery voice from the hall, "shall I leave m letter here on the table? Or is it too late for the butcher?" "Sakes alive! yeB. He was here 'fore you was up," returned Mrs. Barnes cheerfully, from her rocking chair on the front piazza. "But maybe may-be there'll be somebody along presently present-ly on their way to North Adams. You might stick it in the railing in case anybody does come," she added. Kitty sauntered to the fence and leaned over tho railing. But no one was in sight. "Suppose I walk over to North Adams myself," suggested she. "Is It far?" She tapped the belated envelope against her small whito teeth. "Land, yes, child! It's " The gate of the "other house" creaked as it was pulled open. They could always hear that gate creak Mrs. Barnes stopped rocking and looked up the road. "Here comes Professor Thornton,'' she said placidly. "But of course, we couldn't ask him," "H'm!" murmured Kitty absently,, "why tuLX- 1 1 friwjn 1 - . The Professor was a tall, aristocratic aristo-cratic looking man of middle age. As he approached, followed by a handsome hand-some collie, Kitty went to the gate and held out her letter with a frank, winning smile: "If you're going to the village would you mind mailing this for me?" said she gravely. "I should be very much obliged." Mrs. Barnes, from the rocker on the piazza, looked at the girl with mild reproach, but met no glance of apology. apol-ogy. Kitty's wide gray eyes were following fol-lowing Professor Thornton's aristocratic aristo-cratic figure down the road, and evolving evolv-ing some questions. She turned abruptly : "Who Is he? Why did you hesitate about asking him? Don't you think hell mail It all right? It's to mother and it's very important, and you don't think he'll drop it, do you?" And what Mrs. Barnes thereupon told her waB, in substance, If not in words, something liko this: He was Professor Hamilton Thornton, Thorn-ton, of New York city, serving as his mistress, Star-eyed Science. But of Woman (with a capital W) and her Ways (another capital W) he was totally to-tally ignorant. The iciest of Iced water wa-ter was warm so rumor had it to the look he bestowed upon women. "And how ever you braced up spunk enough t ask hjja to "aif that let- ter,' concluded Mrs Barnes, rocking way back. "I don't know." "Ho! hum!" yawned Kitty. "Well, the woods for mine," and With a nod cf farewell she passed out of the Kate Over the slippery needles she went till she reached a tall tree whose shaft went btraight up, not bothering itself with branches for thirty feet Here she threw herself down and leaned back in the embracing roots, pitying the people in towns, and heaving heav-ing a sigh of satisfaction. "If only dear mother could be with me, though," said she mentally "But, of course, Its Impossible Oh, thts poverty-stricken, work-a-day world! ' She couldn't help thinking of the pretty pret-ty little estate in Virginia which yielded yield-ed nothing, and of the subsequent hardships which she and her frail, delicate mother were enduring "Well, the doctor said if I'd stop fretting and would try to enjoy every moment of my month here in these fragrant hills. I'd bo all right for my winter work. So I'm only going to think of pleasure, and and bracing things." And while the resinous bark gave forth its spicy smell, reclining against the roots of the pine tree, sne lazily watched the small and actlvo insects which went pottering about the needles and moss and soft earth. "Oh, it's delicious, and restful so restful!" sighed, aba. stretch! ux her arms above her head. That night, instead of lighting her bedroom candle, she went to the window win-dow through whose uncurtained frame the moonlight poured In, It was still upheld by the volume of Thackeray and by the high -heeled slipper. The October night air was quite chilly, there was too much of it Kitty thought, while she was getting get-ting ready for bed, she'd close it from below, and profit afterward. So, staying the sash with her right shoulder, she tried to extricate the slipper and the book. But, alas! the slipper eluded her and tumbled heel first into the path below. Kitty s first thought was to run ano fetch it back. But she was utterly sleepy. "Oh, pshaw!" yawned she, "what's the use? Ill get it In the morning. It isn't going to raiu; the sky's cram full of stars " The next morning, very early-Prince, early-Prince, the big collie, came running' In to his master, waving his tail excitedly, ex-citedly, and dropped something at his feet. Then, flopping his tawny length upon the hearth-rug, he eyed him expectantly. ex-pectantly. Professor Thornton looked at the thing which Prince had deposited at his feet, without touching It. It was a slipper, he saw now. Rut how incredibly tiny it looked o his exnanse of floor, how heloleaa and m ESiulilljliilHj Tim ? lost! He picked it up a bit gingerly, Why, it was absurdly tinv. What rsr.t Te ,feet woraen must a?el ne set the slipper upright or his bie brown hand-an airy suede bridge across his broad palm 5 Hed seen things like this-hadnt he -on blocks in shop wlndbwa? No not precisely like this, either ' ? this had little curves-La " dozen ot theni-of individuality. Pretty lit t?I thlngs-but what nonsense ' for : He hesitated a second; then softly opened the top right-hand drawer of his desk. "Maybe some one Will call for it," thought he. "then 1 11 be sure to know where It Is." He thought of this drawer several times during the day, but did not open That night, however, he set the tiny thing up on his big blue blotter It shone under the student lamp in shimmering shim-mering daintiness o soft. with such curves! Why. It looked al-" most warm CS; Uie Professor felt lQnciv. He Picked up the slipper, turning It over and over Suddenly he cried: "Why, there's K G iust 1 . right on the lining, ffgfStTUffifc Prince sniffed at this illuminating "is- Next day as the Pressor was pas.. , She .A ad her words were , - mun,ler simplicity "Ajis. a . a aarming -Kitty Graham ' ,ny Miss Graham Kittv r Peated he graveiyf '"ftta n' re" bow. Then he stonneH . courtly garded the girl wrk 8h5 6 re-wonder re-wonder growing E hi absorPt'on. a Graham." 8aid hc .:d"'so , "Miaa , slippers?" c' d0 ever wear laughed tK?ttyU:oSmn t0 a a Bi,j,M ?M an amL 0g courtship!" di to begiu p ""''rpaTWrees fr much deliberauon hr. raace" At-J'ng At-J'ng note to SSrSJ&W 'he Dear Mi. . ,j tty he'ress know how- to Lle Vou' b:" do not T ould you advise 1 aS U,Jscli- How jk And the hetJlC0UNT E BUST" ing; helles Penned the follow- not worth the chare..D' " 1 c |